Brushes with Madness
by PeacefulProcrastination
Summary: Having a demented Daedra overly attached to you isn't as bad as it seems. Or sounds. But, who in their right mind would admit such a thing?
1. Dreams

Hey! First Elder Scrolls fanfic. Before you read the story, I see and write Sheogorath as he appears in Skyrim, with one minor tweak. Instead of the blind eyes, he has the black and yellow cat eyes from his Oblivion self.

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><p>Rin Maverin knew what she was experiencing was a dream. It was too obvious. The edges of her vision were blurred, burnt, creased, and faded, like a piece of old paper.<p>

That didn't mean she would prevent the dream from occurring. She realized that, once more, it was about a certain crazy Daedra. It was in a setting all-too-familiar. She watched herself converse with him.

"Oh, lassie. Do you know who you're dealin' with?" Sheogorath's accent was thick and gravelly, his brows furrowed.

The mortal, an Imperial woman named Rin, stood silent. The strange man's yellow, cat-like eyed had her transfixed.

"I... uh... what?" She hadn't noticed his immediate reaction when she opened her mouth. He huffed, dramatically smacking his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"I said: do you even know who you're dealin' with, lass?"

Rin frowned. _An insane, old man with a bizarre fashion sense and unique eyes? _She didn't say those words, however. "I'm afraid I don't, sir."

"_Wrong!" _His voice was a loud, cracked interruption. He closed his mouth, and a thoughtful look graced his face for a moment. "Actually... you do. Sort of." He waved his hands around, trying to emphasize his point.

The Imperial knew this man could sense the confusion emanating from her as he stepped in her direction.

"I'm a part of you, mortal. A part a everyone, actually. I'm a piece of your fragile little psyche. You know me. You just don't know it." He fell silent after he reached out and tapped her forehead.

After a few moments of quiet, he bounced away from her personal space. His face was lit up with a jovial grin. "Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness, at your service!" He goofily bowed and brushed his lips across both her knuckles and cheeks, Repeatedly.

Rin cleared her throat and Sheogorath darted up, releasing her hands.

"Oh, but please, have a seat! What would you like? Mammoth steak? Ooh, wait! A sweetroll?" He paused, eyes widening. "How about... _cheese?" _At that, about seventeen wheels of goat cheese spawned on the long table in front of them, and he flashed her a cheesy (pun intended) grin.

"Seriously, lass. Take a seat! And I don't mean grab one and run- heh, some kid tried that once. I skipped rope with his entrails!" The last sentence rolled off his tongue, accent strong. He giggled, pointing to a seat across from him.

Rin quickly sat down in the chair Sheogorath had (quite unintentionally) chosen for her. His cat eyes narrowed when she mumbled nervously.

"What was that, mortal?" He leaned over the table, hands folded.

She automatically stood up, much to the Daedra's surprise and slight dismay (he wished for her to relax). "So, uh."

"_Yes?"_ He raised an eyebrow, and Rin's eyes darted away.

"Does this mean you'll leave?"

_Ah._

He grinned, lounging back in his throne. "Now, that's the real question, isn't it? Because how much time off could a demented Daedra _really_ need?"

Sheogorath knew the Imperial was tense and spoke calmly. "Lass, I won't hurt you." He fought the urge to add a snide remark.

Rin seemed to sit a bit more comfortably, yet for Sheogorath, that wasn't enough. He spoke, above a mere whisper.

"Is it your first time? Dealing with a Daedra?"

She shook her head. _"_I've dealt with many."

Now that interested him, and he moved forward once more. "Then why, mortal, are you so scared of me?" He was genuinely curious.

She didn't answer, and he continued. "You need not worry around me. But, back to the subject at hand!" Sheogorath clasped his hands together. He flew out of his chair and skipped around the table, making his way toward her. "Should I stay or should I go? What a question!" The insane Daedra stopped beside her, and whispered. "No, I think I'll stay." His voice deepened, lowering an octave.

Rin gulped at the intense expression on his face. His eyes were practically glowing with mischief. He was too close for comfort. They were almost nose-to-nose. Rin sunk back into her chair.

"Hey! What did I say about me not being a threat to you? Did you already forget?" She had to give him credit, he did look offended. "I'll let you go. On one condition." He paused, waiting for a reply. He wasn't disappointed.

A sigh. "Alright, what'd the catch?"

He rubbed his hands together, quite like a mad scientist who just brainstormed the most diabolical plan ever. "Oh, I love when mortals know they're bein" manipulated! Everything becomes much more... interesting." His voice dropped again, making the Imperial shiver. "You have to trust me when I say that I won't hurt you." With that, he grabbed her shoulders. She was visibly shaking.

His lips brushed her ear. "Looks like you'll be here for quite some time, so I suggest you _wake up_."

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><p>Rin's eyes shot open and she practically leaped out of bed. Her eyes were wide, her forehead glistening with sweat. She frantically rubbed her face, her arms, looking around the room. She was still in Honeyside. She wiped some sweat off of her face, eyes darting around the room.<p>

A flash of light blue appeared at her side. "Are you alright, Listener?" The smooth baritone voice of Lucien Lachance lulled her senses, and her breathing slowed.

"Bad dream." She whispered, and he wrapped an ethereal arm around her. "What was it about, if I may ask?" He was doing a good job at keeping her calm, and she sighed.

"I..." She began, and turned her head away, stepping out of the specter's embrace. "Nothing." She'd rather not tell him that the Daedric Prince of Madness was constantly invading her dreams.

Lucien knew she was hiding something, but chose to leave her to it. "If you need anything, my Listener, I will be there." He crossed his arms just as he returned to his personal slice of the Void.

Rin turned around, staring at the spot the specter had just been, and huffed. Just huffed. Not much more, not much less. She didn't know what to do.

What _do_ you do when a mad god won't leave you alone?

_Well_, she thought. _He's only been in my dreams. He probably doesn't even know what's going on._

She snatched an apple from the table a few feet away from her and kicked the door open to her porch. Riften was a beautiful city at night. One might even say dangerously beautiful.

The Imperial plopped down in the nearest chair, taking a bite from the red fruit. She breathed in the fresh, clean air. Rin was quite tired, but she already knew sleep would not return.

She listened to the night. The rustling of leaves, the breeze of air, the chirping and chatter of animals. It helped clear her mind, and she closed her eyes.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping, lass?"

Rin groaned, keeping her eyes closed. She wanted to hiss at him, to tell him to leave her alone. But she didn't. She did not wish to cope with a pissed-off Daedra tonight, and settled for slowly raising her head, eyes partially open. "Shouldn't you be ruling your realm or something?"

"Nah." Sheogorath's lips were curled up in an amused smirk when she finally opened her eyes. "So, Rin." The "r" rolled off his tongue. "Rin. What a strange name for an Imperial. Rin." He giggled. "Rinny Rin Rin."

She snapped at him. "If you're just here to bother me, can you do it another time? I'm tired."

"Then go back to sleep." He was up to something. It was obvious.

"No." Her voice dripped with annoyance of the highest degree before taking another bite from the apple.

"_Pleeeeeeaaaaase?_" He jutted his bottom lip out, eyelashes fluttering, like a child asking for another sweet roll from their mother. She turned away from him. He continued. "Why? Oh, is something botherin' you? Too much cheese? Bad dreams?"

He scooted his chair closer to her, making scraping noises at it grinded against the worn wood. "Oh, please tell me. I'm just a demented Daedra!" He placed his elbows onto the table, holding his head up with his hands. His cane was laid across his lap. Childish anticipation was prominent on his features, staring at the Imperial with those damn cat eyes.

She glared at him. "Go away."

"But _Riiiinn!_" He drew out her name, an impish grin on his face. "Tell Sheogorath what's botherin' you and he'll leave!"

Bothered by the random referral to himself in third-person, she muttered. "I had a bad dream."

He leaned in closer. "About?" She was always so distracted by his eyes that she never noticed the rest of him. The Madgod seemed to choose to present himself as an older, silver-haired gentleman with fine clothes. One half of his top (which was divided with a pink cravat) was a deep, beautiful purple, while the other was a strong shade of red, and he wore purple trousers, with two belts around his waist. He could easily pass as a mortal in public if it were not for his eyes. No matter how hard he tried, he could not hide his true self within them (besides the obvious reasons).

"Lass." He clicked his tongue. "What was the dream about?" He appeared to be growing impatient. He was fidgeting around in his chair and tapping the floor with his feet.

"Well..." She took a breath, and he rose his eyebrows, as if permitting her to continue. "It was in Pelagius' mind."

"And?" He was waiting with baited breath. The Daedra already knew the contents of her dream, but it was much more interesting to hear the Imperial speak of it.

"It was when I asked you to leave. You said no." She rubbed her eyes, feeling uncomfortable around Sheogorath. "You said you'd let me leave if I stopped being so tense around you, and then you told me to wake up."

That was the simplistic version, as so much else happened.

The Madgod seemed satisfied with her answer, and abruptly stood up. "Well, Rin. I believe it is time for me to take my leave, as requested."

That was it. He just disappeared in the blink of an eye. No special portals, no flashy lights, no dramatic goodbyes. He just left.

Rin didn't sleep for the rest of the night.


	2. Meal for Two

This was such a strange chapter for my to try and pull off. I'm probably going to update every Sunday, as I only have one chapter and a sliver of another to finish.

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><p>Rin was not a lucky woman. She (of all the adventurers in Skyrim, <em>by the Nine<em>) woke up in a place she did not recognize, and in a bed that was not her own.

Her head was dizzy, and there was a searing warmth that ran down her chest to her abdomen. She brushed the purple covers off her, wondering what was going on. Bloody bandages had been (hastily) wrapped around her torso, along with her left bicep and foot. Pain tingled all through her body, but it was bearable. The confusion, however, was not.

Rin vaguely remembered running errands in the Pale for a few of the locals. One of them asked her to clear out an ancient Nord ruin that was teeming with the annoying draugr. She'd done well, of course. That was, until she reached the final room. Too distracted by the Dragon Wall she was, for Rin did not notice the (Dragon Priest?) kicked the front of its coffin out and promptly ambushed her. What vexed Rin the most was that she took her attacker down quite easily, and then there was a gap in her memory.

She couldn't remember anything that happened from the time she defeated the monster to the time she woke up. It was as if someone skipped the next ten minutes of her life. Was it even ten? Could it have been an hour? Two? A day? _A week?_ She was so overwhelmed by uncertainty that she barely noticed the letter sitting on the nightstand beside her. It was sealed with crimson wax, which she ripped open. One glance at the parchment and she could see that whoever wrote it took their time, forming each elegant letter with caution.

_Ah, Rin! If you're reading this, it means Clavicus Vile owes me some souls and favors! Why? We made a bet, of course! He thought you'd be dead. Dead! Well, he has much to mull over now. Ha!_

_Anyway, you're injured. Quite terribly, to be honest. I was able to get you bandaged up, get rid of the pain and such, but your weak little body hasn't exactly healed. As a Daedra, I'm not allowed to do much more than that, and I'm not going to sugar-coat it for you. Speaking of such, why not cheese-coat? I was watching you, Rin. You were poisoned. And... well, there were a couple of huge gashes on your abdomen, foot, and arm. Seriously, how could you miss that?_

There was no signature at the bottom, however Rin knew fairly well who'd written it. She could practically hear his voice, speaking the written words to her as she skimmed through it once more.

She had to get out of wherever she was and return home. Lydia was probably panicking or something in the wake of her absence, and Rin didn't enjoy seeing her housecarl (and, to be honest, best friend) upset.

Even with the extensive injuries her body had been through, she was able to walk normally. She wasn't surprised, however. A Daedra could easily alleviate pain of any degree, Rin was sure.

Slowly pushing the door ajar, she stepped down a long, dark (yet colorful) hallway. Her bare feet tapped the cold, hard ground, and she glanced to her left and right in the many rooms, corridors, and more that lines the hall. She could hear voices now. Her pace quickened, and an annoyingly bright light glared in her face. She rose her arms and slightly closed her eyes, waiting for them to adjust.

Someone bumped into her, and she let out a weak cry of indignation. "H-hey!" The person in question spun around. He was a tall, chubby, balding man with black and red clothing. His face seemed bored, yet his tone of voice betrayed that. "Lord Sheogorath!"

"What is it, Haskill?" The Daedra's voice was slightly muffled, emanating from the room that the man had skittered out of. Haskill placed both hands on the small of Rin's back, gently escorting her in.

It was a huge room, and for a moment, Rin just stared, breath caught in her throat. The first thing she noticed was the huge tree. It didn't match with the room itself, but it felt like it belonged there. Next was the carpet. It was divided down the middle, in both color and design. The left side was a bright, red, with a royal design. The right side was ebony, and it was stitched together in the pattern of what she could only describe as dragon scales. There was a long table off to the side, and she could smell the aroma of delicious food. It made her mouth water.

_"Rin!"_ That outrageous accent brought the woman's attention to the Daedra who was quickly approaching them, arms up in the air. Haskill wisely backed out of his Lord's way, and Sheogorath gingerly patted Rin on the back. "How are you feelin'? Got all your fingers and toes, right? No, don't answer that! I quadruple-checked to make sure."

All Rin could manage was a tired smile.

"Lass, you were out for an entire year!" Before she could react, he giggled. "No! I'm just pullin' your leg. You've only been asleep for a couple of days." Rin shot him a (slightly angry) glare, and he ignored it.

"Ah, but I bet you're quite starved!" He ushered her towards the center of the room, where the table sat. He danced around the it and slid a chair beside his, a wild grin on his face. He bounced in his seat, tapping the one he moved. "Ooh! Ooooh! Rin! Sit here, _sit here!"_ He squealed like a child, clapping his hands frantically and kicking his feet around when she placed herself in the chair next to him.

"So, lassie! What would you like?" He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and motioned to all the food around her. There was so much food that she didn't even know where to start. Rin smiled at him, weakly. "Can I... can I have some Horker stew?" The Daedra's lips curled up in the brightest smile the woman had ever seen on his face, and he let out a hearty laugh. "Of course you can! _Haskill!" _His eye twitched.

"Coming, my Lord!" The man was at his master's side in mere seconds. Rin stifled a giggle; Haskill's face was red and his lips were pursed, hiding his distaste. "Yes?" He was already impatient with Sheogorath, and crossed his arms.

"Cook up a fresh bowl of Horker stew for our guest!" Sheogorath tapped the empty space in front of Rin, as if telling him_ "look, she doesn't have any food!"_

Haskill's eyes seemed to sink into his skull. "But sir-" Sheogorath's eyes darkened, and he rose an eyebrow. "But what, Haskill?"

"There's already Horker stew on the table."

"Well, I want her to have the freshest and most delicious Horker stew the Shiverin' Isles has ever seen! _Get to it!" _He proclaimed (almost angrily, Rin noted). Rin rubbed her face in embarrassment, more for Haskill than herself. "Right away, sir." Haskill's voice wavered, and Rin gave him an apologetic look. The man rushed out of the room, intent on cooking the best stew he'd ever made.

Sheogorath turned to Rin. "How're you feelin', lass?" Was that concern she saw in hid eyes? Rin looked closer, and he blinked. The concern was gone, but she'd caught it. The Imperial turned to the glass of water that sat next to an empty plate. She chugged the cold, refreshing liquid in a matter of seconds, rubbing her forehead.

Sheogorath mumbled something about Rin's thirst, but it fell on deaf ears. Haskill had returned, carrying a steaming pot of Horker stew. She was surprised; he finished cooking the food so quickly. Sheogorath squealed as Haskill placed a large, ceramic bowl on the empty plate in front of Rin. The man scooped up a nice amount of the stew with a ladle, and gingerly deposited its contents into the bowl.

Rin automatically picked up a spoon, ready to dine, but Sheogorath placed a hand over the bowl. "Ah, ah, ah." He waggled his other hand's index finger at her. "Wouldn't want to burn that pretty tongue of yours." Rin's stomach growled in protest, making the Madgod laugh. The Dragonborn, Arch-Mage of the College of Winterhold, Guildmaster of the Thieves Guild, Listener of the Dark Brotherhood, and Thane of Whiterun, Riften, Falkreath, and Morthal was _not_ pouting.

Sheogorath giggled again, and Rin's wind wandered. "Why did you save me?" Sheogorath was taken aback; of all the things the woman could've mentioned, she said this. If he were mortal, and even slightly sane, he would've laughed nervously. Instead, he started to frantically blow cold air on Rin's stew. "You're not answering me." She spoke.

The Madgod looked up, and grinned at the Imperial. "Oh, of course I'm not! Can't you see I'm tryin' to cool your food down? Silly girl!" He diverted his eyes back to the soup, and Rin slid the bowl away from him. He let out an exaggerated plea, acting quite like a cat, holding his hands up to his face, eyes wide. _"Riiiiiiin!"_

Her expression was stern, like a mother scolding her child. "Why did you save me?" Sheogorath's childish act was thwarted, and he whispered to Rin, as if he was telling her a secret. "Because, Rin, I wanted to."

That wasn't a good enough answer for the woman, and she updated her question. "Why did you _want_ to save me?" The Madgod leaned back in his chair, eyes glancing in her direction. "Why not? Can't a Daedra save his champion?" Rin shrugged, too hungry to pester him about his motives. She dipped her spoon in the bowl, stirring it little. Sheogorath watched her as she took a bite, and smilled. She nodded to Haskill, who was standing off to the side, once forgotten. "My compliments to the chef."

The tips of Haskill's ears flushed red, and he thanked her.

Rin ate in silence, in the company of an insane Daedra.


	3. Dragons and Bandits

"Damn it, Marcurio!" The Imperial woman smacked the back of her follower's head, a sly smile plastered on his face. Marcurio and Rin were exploring an abandoned city, west of Marthal. The man had kicked a heavy rock, which rolled across the dirt road and attracted the attention of some bandits.

The bandits were formidable opponents, and Rin was overwhelmed. She ended up having to use unrelenting force to push the chief back, who was sent flying, tumbling in the air. His skull collided with a group of rocks and a sickening crack was heard. Rin didn't flinch, but Marcurio did.

"Eugh. Gross." He grimaced, and Rin covered his eyes. "I thought you weren't a baby, yes?" She was mocking him, and he (for once) didn't mind. He turned away from the carnage and grinned. "Even I have my moments."

They laughed and joked, exploring and wandering around for what felt like hours. They dealt with the rest of the bandits, a few bears, and-

"Shit!" Rin heard Marcurio hiss, a few paces away from her. She hurried over, confused. "What?" The man pointed toward the sky. As if on cue, a howl (was that an appropriate word to describe the noise?) echoed in the distance.

A dragon, of course.

Rin's legs started moving on her own, eyes still on the sky. Her concentration was unlike anything the Imperial man had even seen, and he respected her for that. The shout slipped from her throat once the dragon flew into view, no longer omitted by the trees and mountains in the background.

**"JOOL ZAH FRUL!"**

Her voice boomed, catching the dragon's attention. The blue shockwave smacked into the beast as the noise cracked. It groaned, and fell to the earth. From her place behind some rocks, Rin knew it was an Elder dragon. Quickly, the two sprinted toward the grounded dragon, and began hacking and slashing (and casting spells) at it. Rin was dual-wielding the fireball destruction spell.

A ball of light blue light manifested beside them. "Yes, my Listener?" Lucien's baritone voice was soft and calm; he was completely unaware of the situation the two Imperials were in.

"Help!"

Lucien Lachance's head turned toward the dragon, eyes wide for a moment. It was fleeting, and unnoticed. He unsheathed his dagger, attacking the beast with all his strength.

The dragon moved to fly away, but Rin grounded it with another shout. Its jaw dropped, and a burst of flames erupted from its mouth. The fire singed Marcurio's clothing, making him cry in indignation. "That was my favorite robe!"

Rin, in the heat of battle, managed to hiss. "Marcurio, that's the least of our problems! Quit whining!"

"Yes, mother."

Lucien wasn't doing as well, as he'd never fought a dragon before. He stabbed eyes and such, but it wasn't doing as much as he wished. The dragon's jaw snapped in Lucien's direction, teeth sinking into his ethereal arm. Its head flailed around, picking his off of the earth. He was flung quite a distance away from the battle. The Void was calling him back, and he melted away in a puddle of ectoplasm.

The remaining fighters were gaining the upper hand, however, and Rin delivered a lighting spell at the dragon's head. It fell backward, blood seeping from its many wounds.

They stepped back as the skin and scales seemed to burn off of the dragon, leaving just a skeleton. The energy and soul of the fallen beast swirled around the Imperial woman, disintegrating near her chest. She felt empowered, as usual when absorbing to souls of dragons.

Marcurio was so used to seeing something like this, and merely yawned, crossing his arms. "You owe me new robes."

"Yeah," Rin laughed in his face."Whatever."

Darkness was on the horizon, and they were far from an inn. They moved with haste, hoping to reach Marthal with some light left.

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><p>Rin knew he was there. Of <em>course<em> the Madgod was there (he was always there), practically following them. As they stopped to catch their breath, an hour away from Morthal, he finally made himself known, manifesting at her side.

"You look tired." Sheogorath spoke as if bored, yet he was far from that. Marcurio wasn't sure what to do. He didn't know who this strange man was, and remained silent, wishing not to intrude.

"Was it that obvious?" She rewarded the Daedra with a humorless, exhausted chuckle, making him frown. "This reminds me of another time you felt like showing up." He ignored her little, snide comment and circled her, chin resting on his (fingerless) gloved hand. "Are you feelin' alright, lass?"

"Yeah."

She certainly didn't sound like it, however, and Sheogorath motioned for Marcurio to step forward. "Lad, do you know who I am?"

"I'm gonna guess you're one of Rin's friends?" His voice rose an octave, waiting for the answer. Sheogorath laughed, patting him on the back (how did he move that fast?). "I guess you could say that. But, do you know anythin' more?"

Marcurio shook his head. "No, sir."

As much as Sheogorath ached to give him the big "I am a part of you, mortal" speech to the man, he settled for a brief introduction. "I am Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness." He gave Marcurio a toothy grin, yellow eyes glowing.

"Wha...?" Marcurio was lost for words, which was rare for him.

"Oh, Rin didn't tell you about me?" He clicked his tongue, giving the dazed Imperial a stern look. "How could you, lass?" Rin tried to form words on her lips, but a groan came out instead. Her eyes were glassy and glazer over.

Sheogorath glided away from Marcurio, staring intently at Rin. "You know, Rin, you look quite pale. Seems like a pretty bad case of Sanguinare Vampiris." He touched her cheek, which was cold. "Were you fightin' vampires recently? Oh! Those bandits! One of them must've been infected, eh?"

Marcurio's hands were fumbling in the knapsack that was slung across his shoulder, searching for a potion that could cure the disease. Sheogorath held his hand over the bag, stilling the man's frantic motions.

He turned back to Rin, placing a hand on her forehead. Her eyes refocused, color and warmth returning to her face. "I feel like yesterday's breakfast, Marcurio." Rin muttered, causing Sheogorath to grin, and Marcurio opened his mouth, offended.

"Molag's goin' to kill me for this." Sheogorath whispered to them, as if he were telling them a dangerous secret. Rin chuckled when the Daedra glanced around, feigning nervousness.

"Why?" Marcurio asked, confused.

"Molag Bal created vampires, silly!" Sheogorath flicked the man's nose before seemingly dissolving in the air. His laughter stayed with them for about ten more seconds, before dissolving like the rest of him.

The two Imperials stood there, staring at each other, until Marcurio spoke.

"Well, that was weird."

"Could've been worse."


	4. The Reach

Geez, I almost forgot to mention what Rin looks like! She has very short hair. Really short, brown hair. The short hair you can pick for girls when you create a character in Skyrim. Not the buzzcut one, though. She's about average height for someone who's 28, so she's like 5'6 or something. As mentioned in the story, her eyes are brown. Not hazel or green with little highlights of blue and purple and red. Just normal brown.

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><p>A couple weeks later, Rin was back at it again, messing around in the Reach for a strange Dunmner who insisted she do his task. The man handed her a bundle of yarn, a lesser soul gem, and a head of lettuce and told her to deliver those items to a certain Khajiit named J'orrza.<p>

Rin _hated_ the Reach. Despised it. The Forsworn would never leave her alone, and the atmosphere there always felt gloomy. The gloominess was even worse when it stormed, which was happening right now. Rin's Nightingale armor was soaked and stuck to her body with sweat. She kept her hood on, wanting her hair dry. Her boots squished in the wet mud, and she avoided as many puddles as she could. She constantly casted the bound sword spell at every little noise she heard. She was prepared to fight at a moment's notice, aware of the overabundance of Forsworn.

The Dark Elf had told her to search for an inn south of Reachcliff cave, where the Khajiit would be located. She could see a light in the distance, and her pace quickened. She passed the cave a few minutes ago, and was sure this was the way to the inn. The cold, wet mud bothered her legs and ankles, bit she ignored it, thinking of the warm inn.

The small, wooden building was visible now. It seemed just about the right size of an inn, and had a sign in front of the enterance. When her feet touched dry ground, she read the words on the sign. "Sleepy Draugr?" She spoke, confused. The name felt wrong and out-of-place, but she wasn't the one naming inns, and therefore had no room to complain. Or judge.

Warmth. It was something waiting for Rin. and she greeted it with open arms, exhaling deeply. A few patrons of the bar stared at her, like she had two heads, and she gave them an intimidating flash of teeth, pretending to be friendly. She was hardly in the mood to be gawked at, and so she walked up to the innkeeper and asked him for a "J'orrza."

The innkeeper, a tall, lanky, black-haired Nord simply walked over to the door on the right and banged his fist against the worn wood a few times. He jiggled the doorknob a couple times. "J'orrza. Got a delivery!" On the other side of the door, a tired hiss came from a brown-haired Khajiit mage. "Give me a second, _fool!" _Covers and clothes rustled behind the wood, and the doorknob was yanked forcefully out of the Nord's hand.

The Khajiit stopped when he saw Rin, clad in her Nightingale armor. "I did not know the deliverer would have a history with a Daedra." His comment perplexed Rin, and she cautiously handed him the bag with the items he'd been waiting for. "Thank you." He whispered.

Rin thanked the Gods the hood came with a mask, high enough to cover her face, because she looked the way she felt. She felt like she deserved some sort of compensation, and the Khajiit could sense it, mask or not. "I will pay you, yes? But you must be tired. Let me get you a warm drink."

Was this guy flirting with her? Rin shook her head. _No, of course not. He's just being nice._ The innkeeper led them back to the bar, and J'orrza asked for the "special" drink on the menu. "The Nord boy. He is called Vald." J'orrza answered Rin's unspoken question.

Vald placed a tankard of sweet-smelling, warm cider on the table. "A family recipe." He stated, proud. The Khajiit and Nord watched as Rin took a sip of the cider. It tasted funny in her mouth, but she reasoned with herself that it was warm, and she never drank warm cider before.

"It's pretty good." Rin spoke, and realized that the Khajiit's grin was fake. "What the...?" Her voice was already slurred, and she glanced down, just in time to see the floor reach up and smack her in the face. Or was it the other way around?

It happened so fast, and in mere moments, that she didn't understand how she got from the table to the floor, semi-unconscious. She heard a disembodied voice call out. "Quick! Grab her legs. We must prepare the-" Her head hurt, and she uncomfortably blacked out, the painful sensation of being dragged imprinted in her body.

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><p>Rin knew she was tied up when she couldn't move her arms of legs. She couldn't even sit up. It was still raining, and she was outside. Rin opened her eyes and immediately realized that the items she was to deliver were placed around her. She was surrounded by most of the people that were at the bar, including Vald and J'orrza.<p>

"W.. what are you guys doing? Untie me!" She hissed at them. Her throat was building with a Thu'um, but she wanted to try and be peaceful first. Vald turned to J'orrza. "You were right about tying her down."

"Right about what?" Rin's voice was louder, bolder, and angrier. The Khajiit placed a hand on her shoulder. "Be glad! You'll be an excellent sacrifice!"

_"A sacrifice?!"_ The Imperial woman almost screamed, fists clenched. "A sacrifice for who?" She would've slapped J'orrza, if not for her bindings.

"The Skooma Cat. He will be most pleased!" The Khajiit lifted his eyes up to the heavens for a moment, a smile on his face.

Rin noticed a dark elf behind them. "You! You tricked me, you bastard!" That was the final snap, and a deep, powerful, **"FUS RO DAH" **escaped her lips, sending a few unsuspecting Khajiit and an Argonian flying. Vald lurched forward, and tied a gag over her mouth, reminding her of Ulfric Stormcloak when she met him in the wagon at Helgen.

Her muffled shouts were annoying, interrupting whatever ritual the group was attempting to begin. Vald tapped her forehead. "Sorry, girl, but-"

"I'm the damn Dragonborn, you bastards!" Even though her voice was muffled, everyone made that sentence out. Vald stopped, and hushed her, eyes wide. "Then He will definitely be happy!"

Rin rolled her eyes, still squirming. J'orrza lifted an engraved, ceremonial dagger. "An offering." He whispered reverently, and lifted the weapon, pointed side down, above Rin's chest. She desperately tried to use the Thu'um again, but it wouldn't work. She stared at the beautiful night sky, terrified. If she was to die, she wanted the gorgeous sky to be the last thing she saw.

She waited for the blade to pierce her heart, but it never came. Her gaze lowered to the Khajiit, who was staring at something past her, eyes bulging and jaw dropped. The blade dropped to the table, long forgotten and so close to her hands. Her fingers reached out for it, managing to snatch the tip. It cut her, but she didn't care at this point.

Rin noticed the others all staring with awe at whatever was behind her, and she paid more attention to cutting the ropes. J'orrza stepped past Rin. "The Skooma Cat. He has graced us with His presence."

Whoever this "Skooma Cat" was, he wasn't that chatty. She felt a pair of eyes watching her, which made her quicken her sawing motions. One hand was free, and she used it to release the other.

The group hadn't noticed her yet, and she took hold of the dagger, looking down, ripping the gag out of her mouth. Rin spun around, ready to attack, and stopped. "Sheogorath?" Her face was full of confusion. He hadn't spoken to her yet, which was (slightly) out of his character. Instead, he circled the group of worshippers, a hungry look in his eyes. "A human sacrifice... For me? I'm _flattered!"_

J'orrza seemed to bounce up. "Yes, my Lord!" His happiness was outlived, however, when Sheogorath strutted up to Rin and loomed behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Only problem is, you almost killed my champion! That would've been _terrible!"_

Rin watched the pride on the Khajiit's face turn into horror. Sheogorath smiled at it, and merely flicked his hand at the group, motioning for them to leave. They all backed away, noticing the dangerous (and slightly amused) look in Sheogorath's eyes, which were hidden from Rin. He stepped towards them, and they scattered like ants.

When they were gone, he broke from his intimidating demeanor, and doubled over with laughter. "Did you see their faces! Aha!" Sheogorath's voice was high-pitched, and he was practically cackling. "That was golden comedy, right there!" Rin gave him a half-snort, which seemed to only fuel his annoyingly insane laughter.

She frowned. "I almost died." With that, he wiped a few tears from his eyes. "Oh, Rin. Do you honestly think that would've happened?" And then he was back at it again, this time rolling around on the wet grass.

"You know, it wasn't that funny."

He looked up at her, his right cheek covered with mud. "Rin! You don't understand! I turned one of them into a sweet roll!" Come to think of it, Rin did recall that Vald mysteriously disappeared, and there was a sweet roll in J'orrza's hands. That made her let out a small chuckle, and Sheogorath's eyes lit up.

"Now that's the spirit!" He patted her back. "To New Sheoth for that strawberry torte!"

"H-hey!" Rin managed to weakly protest as they were whisked away.


	5. Aftland

Fun fact: I originally planned for this story to instead have Lucien Lachance intead of Sheogorath. Also, Rin wears the men's version of clothing. There's a reason for that. Comfortability, easier to move in, etc. Also, you've seen the goofy Sheogorath, but not the 'i like to drive motrals insane lmao' Sheogorath. So, here's my attempt!

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><p>If there was one thing Rin hated more than the Reach, it was the ruins of the Dwemer. She almost screamed when Septimus handed her the lexicon and informed her that the location of the Elder Scroll was in the ruins of Alftand. She immediately went to Dawnstar's inn to rest.<p>

Her sleep was dreamless. She awoke six hours later with a horrible headache. Her room was still dark, and she casted a magelight spell on the ceiling.

A man's form and face were illuminated by the ball of light. He was merely sitting in the wooden, squeaky chair adjacent to her bed. His arms were crossed on a cane. "Good mornin'." Sheogorath hummed. His eyes reflected the light, like tiny mirrors. Just like a cat's, she noticed.

"How long have you been here?" Rin yawned, and didn't return his greeting.

The Daedra shrugged, watching Rin stand up and open her wardrobe. "Great. You know, I'd appreciate it if you left. So I can get dressed." She pointed to the door, and Sheogorath whined like a puppy, but left and closed the door behind him.

A few minutes later, she emerged from the small room, clad in her Nightingale armor. She glanced to the right, and saw Sheogorath facing the fire, face blank. He was twiddling his thumbs, deep in thought and unaware of her eyes on him.

By the looks of it, Sheogorath wasn't going to leave anytime soon, and so Rin pretended that he wasn't there as she placed ten septims on the counter in front of the innkeeper. She walked right past him, ignoring the snide comment he made. "You know, Rin. You should really find somethin' else to wear. Somethin' that won't make you look like Nocturnal picks out your clothing. Or that you live in a morgue."

She kicked the worn, wooden door open, throwing her knapsack around her shoulder. Before Sheogorath could follow her out, she slammed the door shut. In his face. She heard a muffled, "Now, that wasn't very nice!" and almost snickered.

He was a little offended, he had to admit, but squashed the feeling. He pretty much walked through the shut door and casually caught up with Rin, jovial once more. "So," he began. "What are we gonna do today?" He was acting like a child, and Rin wanted to correct him and tell him he wasn't tagging along.

People were staring at them. It was a sight to behold, honestly. What appeared to be a fully grown, older man in fine (yet strange) clothes acting like a four year old, circling a woman clad in black armor, her face hidden, was actually a Daedric Prince and the Dragonborn. But the commoners didn't know that, and right now, it was best that it stayed that way.

Rin's pace quickened, and so did Sheogorath's. She stopped, and he did, too. "Rin, why do you even wear that drab?" He reached out and pinched the base of her hood, face puckered in distaste. Rin merely resumed walking, and was soon out of Dawnstar and jumping onto Shadowmere.

Sheogorath trailed behind her and the Daedric horse. "Hey! Wait up, Rin! I'm not what I used to be!" He shouted, and then placed a hand on his back, pretending that it was causing him great pain. He even went so far as to groan and use his cane like the actual kind for elderly people.

Rin wanted to yell back that he was a Daedra, and that Daedras didn't have those sort of issues. She only issued for Shadowmere to move quicker, and Sheogorath's voice reached her ears. "Rin! Are you ignorin' me? Only I ignore me!" He was flying in front of them in an instant, and Rin tugged on the reigns of the horse, forcing it to dart to the left.

He casually floated next to them, arms crossed. "Rin! Rin! _RIIIIIN!"_ He was practically screeching in her ear, repeating her name over and over, louder and louder. Her right eye was twitching. He was annoying the Void out of her, and she grit her teeth. With one hand free to contain magicka, she whispered the ancient words for the spell to expell Daedra. Sheogorath threw her a knowing look. "Won't work, you know. I'll just come back. I'm not even completely a Daedra. And, I'm too powerful for it. Just tickles a bit when someone uses it on me, you know."

Rin tried it anyway, pressing the palm on his chest. The magic flared, and then died out. He was right. Her fingers burned and she pulled her hand back, watching his eyes crackle with mirth.

After he managed to stop giggling and holding his sides, he continued screaming in her ear. _"Rin, Rin, Rin, Rin, Rin, Rin, Rin!" _He was waiting for her to snap, break, quit ignoring him, and so on. Whatever came first, really.

It took about a half hour for her to finally take in a deep breath. His pestering intensified; he knew what was about to happen. "By the Nine, _shut up!" _Rin's Thu'um tore from her throat as well, in the form of flames that burned a nearby tree.

He lazily glanced back at the singed tree with a shrug, quite pleased that Rin was literally shaking. "Damn it, Sheogorath! Go bother somebody else!"

He put up his innocent act. "What did I do? And, oh! _Who_ will let me tag along with them?" He was acting like a young child again, and she was tempted to smack him, but decided that she'd be better off with her intestines inside of her body.

Instead, the woman shunned him as best as she could. She knew what he was trying to do; he'd done it to everybody he could. He wanted to drive her insane, and she wasn't going to let him win. He hopped on Shadowmere, much to Rin and the horse's dismay, and leaned forward.

Shadowmere whined and kicked up. "Shadow! Calm down!" Rin finally spun around and glared a smug Sheogorath in those damn eyes of his. "Get off of my horse!"

"Lucien Lachance's horse." He corrected. At his own mention of the assassin's name, Sheogorath's eyes glazed over for a moment. It confused the Imperial woman.

"Fine. Get off of Lucien Lachance's horse!" Rin yelled. It broke the Mad God out of his trance, and he blinked.

"I don't want to." Sheogorath pouted, and Rin groaned, turning around.

"I can't believe I just had to help that elf." She muttered to herself, angrily. Sheogorath's ears pricked up; he'd heard it.

"Mistakes happen." He was grinning at Rin with a predatory smile that made her turn back around, face pale.

She directed Shadowmere onto a snowy road, holding onto the horse's reins with a grip that was too tight. Sheogorath made an absent comment about the weather, and Rin urged Shadowmere to run faster. The Daedra complained, and Rin gave him a fake smile. He wrapped his arms around Rin's waist; more to add to her tension. She stiffened, and he smirked behind her back.

The Imperial was extremely uncomfortable when, a few minutes later, the Mad God took it a step further and rested his chin on her shoulder. His breath tickled her ear. "Cold?" His voice dripped with sarcasm; his tone mocking her. She shivered, right on cue. _"Cold?"_ He repeated himself, and she almost shoved him off the horse. He kept his chin there, on Rin's shoulder, and she had to fight herself to stop trembling.

A half hour later, after he finally, finally let go of the Imperial woman (the Gods must've been in a merciful mood), Rin heard an icy, clicking hiss behind her. An ice wraith? She spun around to see nothing behind her except for Shadowmere's tail, and miles of pure white snow. Sheogorath wasn't even there. "Thank you, Divines." Rin whispered.

She rode in silence for about an hour or so, stopping only to kill a few wolves that decided to attack her and Shadowmere. A few polar bears gave her trouble, and she had to press the horse on and flee. Rin was freezing cold, which prompted her to cast a fire spell, and warm her hands up with it.

Rin wondered how she looked. Her mask and hood were protecting her face and ears from the cold, but they did not completely blot it out. She hoped, at least, that her expedition for the Scroll would be quick, and that the ruins would be warm.

The Imperial rubbed her fingerless gloved hands together, with the fire spell ready. It did the job, and she continued on. The ruins were visible now, and as soon as she reached the small, wooden structure near the edge of the cliff, she climbed off of Shadowmere. "Stay here, please." The horse seemed to whine as an agreement, and Rin picked up a journal that sat next to a locked chest.

"An expedition, huh?" Rin rose an eyebrow as she flipped through the pages. According to the book, there was a group stationed in the ruins, along with a few Khajiit laborers.

Hopefully they'll let me explore here, she thought. The lock on the chest only cost her two lockpicks, and it flipped open. A few septims, an amethyst, and a diamond ring were inside. She snatched all of the loot, and shoved it into her sack.

The moment she slowly pushed the big, bronze door open to the ruins of Alftand, a horrible stench swirled around her nose. It smelled of death, decay, and the faint smell of blood. She almost doubled over and vomited, but gagged and placed a hand over her mask instead.

There was ice and packed snow mixed with ancient machinery all over the walls and floor. She crept around with caution, walking down what was probably steps. Her footing had to be strong, lest she slip and fall into a trap or something.

As the Imperial woman turned to the right, all she could see was red. Blood splattered the walls, the floor, and the bed rolls that laid there, dusty and forgotten. Even the snow. She was reminded of a statement Lucien Lachance made, about "the glistening crimson on fields of white." It looked like there was a struggle, as lanterns were knocked over, rotten food littered the floor, and bowls and plates were scattered.

She slowly stepped over the blood and reached a wooden platform. Even more blood splattered the area, and she made no move to examine it. She headed down a tunnel, and heard someone talking.

"Skooma, skooma, skooma, skooma." The guttural voice repeated those words, like a mantra. It frightened the Imperial woman.

Rin peeked into the room. Two Khajiit were in there. One was whispering to nobody, as another laid in a bed roll, his throat slit open. There were a few empty bottles of skooma on the floor, and the living Khajiit's head snapped around.

"Who's there? You have my skooma, yes?" His voice was a growl, and Rin stumbled backwards on some tripwire. He heard her, immediately rushing up to the sound and knocking her over. Rin was pinned to the ground. He held a bloody axe, and rose it above her head, ready to swing.

**"FUS RO DAH!"** Rin shouted right in his face, and he flew backward, eyes wide. A quick slash finished him, and the Imperial woman rubbed her eyes before leaving the carnage behind.

Soon the ice and snow were gone from the walls, as she explored deeper and deeper. She pushed a door open, and was met with an arrow that almost hit her face. It clunked uselessly on the floor after it collided with the wall. She picked it up, and her lip curled in disgust. "Damn Falmer."

Rin summoned a bound bow with a quick flick of her hands, a conjuration spell in her fist. The purple, ethereal bow manifested in her hands, and a quiver of arrows formed on her back. Her aim as an archer was terrible, but she wanted to distance herself, and use sneak attacks on the vile creatures.

The first arrow was embedded in a wall, a few feet away from one Falmer's head. It looked around for whatever caused the disturbance of silence. Its search went unsuccessful, because Rin crept past it and into the next room.

She immediately fired arrows at the Falmer that stood at the top of the stairs. Most missed, but a few hit their mark. The room was silent again, and she moved up the steps, rolling to the right.

She cleared out a few more areas, and began to realize just how big Alftand was. The Dwarven sphere guardians bothered her more than the spiders and centurions did, and she always eliminated them first.

Rin slowed down and chugged a potion to regenerate her stamina, and her eyes darted behind her. The mob of Dwarven spiders and a few sphere guardians were still chasing her, and she sprinted through a door and hid behind a statue made of stone.

The machines searched for her, and she held her breath when a sphere stared right at her for too long. It turned away, however, and joined the leaving group. She let out her breath and rolled across the floor.

She saw something ahead of her, and raised another summoned bow. It was another Falmer, and she killed it quickly. It took her another half hour to reach a room with a pedestal, for her to place something that Septimus had given her.

"Don't you think we should leave? There's been enough death already." The voice of a woman reached her ears, and she was on alert at once. A man's voice followed, but she could not decipher what he said.

Two people snuck out from behind columns, in front of Rin. They were unknowing of her presence, until she made a move to talk to them. They became hostile, and she had to deal with them. The Imperial was growing tired of all the fighting and killing, and placed the ball in the pedestal. A spiral staircase opened beneath her, and she followed it down to a door.

The first thing she experienced was the transition from dark to a glowing, strong light. She pulled her mask and hood down; the air was stale. She coughed, and began walking through the huge place. Gigantic, glowing mushrooms lined the walls, and Rin was so overwhelmed that she couldn't describe what she saw.

She felt a presence approaching her, and raised her hands to fight. Rin'd felt the presence following her around the entire time, but never so close.

Nothing was there, except for a lone Falmer. She picked of a piece of broken stone and whipped it past the thing's head. The Falmer chased after it. Rin turned to face the stairs, and somebody was standing at the very bottom, eyes watching her each and every move.

"Damn it." She hissed at Sheogorath's amused expression, glaring at him as he strutted up the steps. Rin ran right past him, and he spun around, watching her run into a group of Falmer.

She wasn't in the mood to sneak past them (or fight), and so she conjured up a Dremora Lord and kept sprinting. Sheogorath voice was all around her, and she ignored the annoying (and snide) comments he made, regarding every little thing she did. The Falmer chased behind her, and the Dremora Lord cut down as many as it could.

Rin grumbled, jumping into the pool of (was it even) water that divided the land from the door she needed to reach. She glanced back as the Dremora was banished back to Oblivion. She cursed- it hadn't been a minute yet.

When she yanked the door open, Sheogorath stood before her. She stomped past the sly Daedra, and he trailed after her at a casual pace. "Rin, what're you doin'?" He patted her arm when he caught up to her.

"Looking for an Elder Scroll."

_"An Elder Scroll?"_ He stopped walking. "And they call me _insane!"_

Rin turned around and shushed him. "I'm serious." Stopping to take in the (slightly pale) face of Sheogorath, Rin continued. "An Elder Scroll. In here. I'm going to read it at the Throat of the World." She accentuated her words as if it would help him understand just exactly what her reasons for coming here were.

"You're dealin' with somethin' extremely powerful, lass." Rin felt like he was scolding her for a quick moment.

"Yeah, I know." She replied.

"Are you aware of the risks taken when readin' a Scroll? Look at that Septimus fellow. He's completely insane. Bonkers. Gone mad. Out of his mind." The words rolled off the Madgod's tongue in dangerous tones, and he whispered, but it sounded like it was right in her ear. "Shame if that happened to you."

"Are you trying to talk me out of saving the world?" The accusation was a sharp jab, and he deflected it.

"No, but it would be wise to think this over."

Rin was quiet.

"Bein' insane's not all that bad, Rin." He smirked when she gawked at him. "It's actually quite fun! Well, sort of." Sheogorath snaked an arm around Rin's shoulders. "Why don't you try it? It's free!"

"There's something you're not telling me." Rin squirmed in his arms and he laughed, pulling her closer.

"Oh, just that any insane mortals go to my realm. Not all that important, you know." He shrugged again and was satisfied when Rin sighed and rubbed her face, whispering something that sounded like a plea to the Nine.

Sheogorath tugged her arm, forcing her to walk alongside him, right past the Falmer and Dwarven machines which seemed paralyzed. "I'm serious. Why don't we just go share a torte or a drink up in the Shiverin' Isles? Much nicer than in here." He let out a noise of disgust as his armed waved in a semi-circle, bringing attention to the Dwemer ruins he knew Rin hated.

"Quit trying to distract me. This is the only way." The Imperial wormed out of his grip and he pouted behind her.

There was a huge Dwemer puzzle in the next room, and Rin pressed the lexicon into its holder at the top. Sheogorath watched her fiddle with the buttons of the puzzle, attempting to figure it out. One of the buttons on the left opened like an eye, and Rin's fist punched the cerulean button.

The puzzle spun and swayed around some more. Sheogorath lazily lifted an eyebrow when Rin slammed the last button until a blue, oval shaped container was lowered. It opened; split in half.

There was an Elder Scroll inside.

Rin sprinted down the stairs, and casually lifted the Scroll out of the blue mechanism. "Pretty heavy for some paper." She noted, barely audible for Sheogorath.

"That's not _'just some paper'_, Rin." Sheogorath chided her and she walked in his direction, fumbling with the Scroll. It was pointed at him. "Lass, get that Scroll away from me." He appeared to slightly inch away from it.

"You're scared of it?" The woman would've laughed but decided to take a peek at the Scroll. It gave her a pounding headache, and she hastily rolled it back up.

"And you aren't? Look what just happened, lass. You took a peek. Think about actually readin' that dreadful thing!" The Madgod watched Rin rub her eyes, silently cursing, which caused him to chuckle.

"Just... go away." Her voice was harsh as she swatted at him. Sheogorath's black and yellow cat eyes darkened, and a smirk (that Rin did not see) formed on his face.

Rin blinked, turning around to ask him a question. The Madgod was gone, but (what felt like) his presence wasn't. It followed her around for the rest of the day, just like her own shadow, making her jump at every little noise she heard, and cause her eyes to dart behind her (far too many times) when she made the long trek back to Septimus.


	6. Mood Swings

This is the part where I say that I'm quickly losing motivation to update and write this, even though I have half a chapter to write and I'm done. If an update is delayed, it's cause I'm either working on something or too lazy.

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><p>The flames and smoke of a freshly started bonfire in the snowy wilderness Eastmarch had to offer brought Rin back to her experience at the Throat of the World.<p>

She wasn't ready to fight Alduin. She needed a break. Time off. Some relaxation. The idea of fighting the Nordic God of Destruction (again) was not a calming thought. Her heart raced and her face paled each time she was reminded of her destiny as the Dragonborn.

After she read the Elder Scroll and learned Dragonrend from the three Nord heroes, Alduin decided to show up (she wondered if a certain Mad God would've cracked the joke about him visiting for a family renuion, or to catch up or something). The fight was terrible. If not for Paarthurnax, Rin probably would've been dead.

The memory of Alduin's claws ripping into her armor, his fire scorching her face, and the weight of being pinned under him was something she wished to forget. Rin would be in debt to Paarthurnax until the day she died. That kind, old, and wise dragon sunk his teeth into the World Eater's neck and forcefully tackled him off of Rin.

Rin shivered at the thought at what might've happened if Paarthurnax wasn't there, and pushed the Elder Scroll that was slightly protruding from her bag in more, not exactly wanting to look at it. It must've been some sort of trigger, or something that reminded her of all the negative sensations and made her mouth taste bad. If that was a half-assed battle, how would the actual fight turn out?

She scooted closer to the flames, and her hands hovered above the heat source. The Arch-Mage's robes, comfortable and flexible as they were, provided a small amount of protection from the cold. She simply had Tolfdir hand her a spare pair of Savos Aren's robes (that didn't fit him at the time of his death), saving the mages the trouble of making a brand-new outfit. It fit her quite well, considering the circumstances, but was still a bit big on her.

Rin was smart enough to wear the shrouded hand wraps (provided by the now abandoned and destroyed Dark Brotherhood sanctuary in Falkreath), which helped stop the cold and dry air from attacking her knuckles.

She considered, idly, if she should cast a flame cloak spell on herself, just to warm up more.

Dusk had approached quickly, and the sky was a magnificent mixture of mauve and turquoise hues. The stars were bright and scattered across the midnight sky, like pebbles in the ocean, or flowers in a meadow. It was quite the sight.

Rin rubbed her hands together, bringing them closer to the fire. She had to roll up the sleeves of her robes so they wouldn't catch the flames. Her cheeks were a blotchy, uncomfortable shade of red, which matched her nose. She sniffled, using one arm to rub away the snot that was dripping down her face.

She groaned in disgust when she brought her arm back. It was all slimy and nasty and just plain gross. Her nose didn't feel any better. Honestly, it felt worse.

The woman coughed (was that some sort of illness she felt that congested her chest?), and her breath escaped her lips in the form of white, wispy smoke, much like that of a dragon breathing fire. Chuckling, she mimicked a dragon's roar and shook her head around, allowing more of the warm breath to be seen. She smiled at the irony.

"Somebody's more of a dragon than I thought!" The sing-song voice of Sheogorath made itself at home in her head, but there was no source of the noise for her eyes to find. He wasn't visible to her yet. He seemed to do that a lot recently.

She coughed again, trying to ignore the Madgod residing in her mind. Her stomach growled. She was quite hungry, but only had a stale loaf of half-eaten bread in her bag. Maybe there was a sweet roll. Cicero liked to place food in her bag before she headed out on a journey, be it to the inn a few minutes away, or to the other side of Skyrim.

Rin fished out the bread, and reluctantly took a bite. Her eye twitched, but her stomach begged for more, and so she ended up almost inhaling the bread down. And yes, she did end up finding a sweet roll, which she promptly stuffed into her face.

This entire time, Sheogorath watched from her mind. Was there a tea party going on in there like with Pelagius? Rin didn't want him to invite all his loopy friends to reminiscence about the past while having some tea and strawberry pastries up there, which prompted her to speak. She was still munching on the sweet roll. "Get outta my head."

"It's rude to eat with your mouth full of food!" Sheogorath more or less did what he was told, however, fading into her vision. That forced Rin to shrug, taking another bite of her food. "It's rude to invade somebody's mind without their consent."

Sheogorath's face was smug. "Not when I own that mind."

"No, you don't own my mind." Rin hissed at him as he sat down on the log right beside her.

"Oh, but I do. You just didn't know that, until now." His voice attacked her from all directions, and she closed her eyes for a second.

Opening them gave her one of the worst jumpscares of her life, as a pair of yellow eyes surrounded by black was all that she saw. With a yelp, she fell backwards into the wet, cold snow.

Sheogorath's right hand shot out and grabbed Rin's forearm, lifting her back to her feet. Her face was red, more from embarrassment than the frigid temperature this time. Her rear end was freezing cold now, and she glared at Sheogorath. "Whatever." Her teeth clacked together.

His voice caressed her cheek. "Looks like you're still cold, hmm?" He basically savored the reaction that followed. Rin hissed when she saw how delighted he appeared.

"Yeah, these robes don't help at all." Her remark came off as sarcastic to him, and he barked a laugh. Sheogorath watched her sit back down on the log after brushing her bottom off, holding in another laugh. She was glaring daggers at him, and he didn't seem to care.

The Madgod lazily walked around her and to the other side of the fire. Another log magically appeared beneath him just as he sat down. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, staring intently at the fire. He was in deep thought; his brows furrowed.

Rin didn't like that look on his face, nor did she like the feeling of sadness that radiated from him in waves. She whispered, her voice weak. "What... what is it?" He hadn't heard her, but noticed the wispy breath that left her mouth.

His eyes slowly trailed up from the fire to her perplexed face. "Did you say somethin'?" He looked, well, uncomfortable. _Sane?_ Sad. It was unbecoming of him.

"What are you doing?" She watched with amazement as tears formed in the Madgod's eyes? Just what was going on here?

Sheogorath held his face in his hands. "Thinkin'. About bad memories." His voice cracked and wavered (still clear despite being muffled), and he let out a choked sob. The Madgod? _Crying?_

Rin merely sat and stared, too bewildered to move. Suddenly, he flung himself off of the log, right through the fire, and collided, face-first with Rin. The impact was so unexpected that the breath was forced out of her lungs, and she lurched backward. He was sobbing into her shoulder, not quite caring that she was as stiff as a board and gasping for breath.

Sheogorath was bawling, incoherent words leaving his mouth. His grip on her arm was quite tight, really, and she fidgeted. That only served to cause him to hold onto her even tighter, and she reluctantly (and awkwardly) patted his back with her free hand.

Uncomfortable was an understatement in regards to Rin right now. A demented Daedra was draped over the Imperial's left shoulder, his face pressed into her collarbone. She didn't know how to react or what to say.

Everything she tried seemed to only make it worse, until she slowly and unsurely laced her fingers through his long, rough hair a couple times. His breath shuddered, and the Madgod squeezed his eyes shut as embarrassment coursed through him.

In a moment his weight left her, and she took a deep breath. He was staring at her, his arms crossed. "I can't believe this." He began, and the voice that left his mouth was not his own. It dripped with pure anger, the tone one of venom. "I was the Hero of Kvach! Now I'm this babbling fool!"

He paced back to the log across of Rin, face red. The Imperial's eyes were wide. "You were the Hero of Kvach?" Her surprised question (along with a slightly terrified squeak when a rumble left his chest) caused Sheogorath's head to snap up.

"What? Me? Ha!" That sounded more like the Madgod, even though his eyes were watering up again. He didn't look cheery. At all. Sheogorath stepped towards her again, hands reaching for her, looking like a lost child.

"I... Maybe you should go back. To the Shivering Isles." Rin's voice cracked. The Daedra's eye twitched at her suggestion.

"I'm just goin' through a minor case of serious emotional instability." He wiped his eyes and nose with his sleeve before his face crumpled. It bothered Rin. A lot. The Madgod stumbled in her direction.

"I'm serious." Rin's voice didn't break this time, and Sheogorath slowed to a halt, a handful of steps away. His eyes blazed, and he grumbled. "Don't wanna."

Now that sounded more like a pouting toddler (or a grumpy old man) than the powerful Madgod he was, and she almost rolled her eyes. He sunk onto the log next to her, bottom lip jutting out before crossing his arms.

Sheogorath's face was dark. Rin took a quick glance at him. Anger seethed from him in waves, and not wanting to provoke him, she did not speak. Her silence caused him to believe that she was not listening, and so he snatched her wrists.

"Damn it, woman!" The Madgod's expression and voice were a combination of a snarl and a choked sob, and Rin tried to inch away from him. He was acting overly dramatic, but that was probably natural for him. "I don't wanna go to the Shiverin' Isles right now!"

The Imperial woman felt bad for the Madgod in some way, but sighed. "Why not?" Her voice was too soothing for somebody supposed to be the Dragonborn, but the Madgod's grip on her forearms relented. His fingers twitched.

"Borin'."

"How could the Shivering Isles be boring?"

He huffed and simply jerked both of their hands to the left, causing Rin to jolt in his direction. His arms latched around her. "My champion isn't there!" She squirmed right then and there, and Sheogorath held his tongue, wanting to make a terrible pun.

"Hey! Let me go!" She almost smacked his cheek when she spotted the smirk that graced his lips. It was all an act? Or one of his ridiculous mood-swings?

"I think it's high time you came back to the Isles, hmm?" Tilting his head, he tapped her nose, tone of voice insistent. His toothy grin was quite intimidating, and there were still tears in his eyes.

"Are you _serious? _I'm killing Alduin first before I have another tea party with you." She sneered, and he released his grip. She rolled off of him and into the snow, glaring up at his disappointed face.

He growled, and took his leave, fading away in the quickly developing snowstorm.


	7. Tea Party

Shit, guys. I feel terrible for not updating yesterday, but I couldn't. My school took the iPad they provide us with or Friday and didn't give it back until today, and I use the iPad to write stories and update them and everything. Good news is, I'm almost done sith the last chapter, which is the next one.

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><p>How did she even end up here? At the Throat of the World? Her vision was blurry, and she saw doubles. Or quadruples, perhaps? How many dragons were there? Or was that just one?<p>

More arrived. _No,_ Rin thought, _definitely more than one._

The winged beasts formed some kind of circle on the fresh, powdery snow around (and above) her. She was trembling; _was this the end?_ Had Alduin's forces come to take revenge?

Well, if that was the case, Rin had no fight left in her. Gods, she was _tired. _The Imperial woman was still sitting in the snow, eyes half-closed, staring up at the dragons that surrounded her. They made no move to harm her. Sound between fellow dovahs was not made. The only audible noise was the howls of the wind as it swirled around her.

A voice. "You have done well, Dovahkiin." The source came from the left, and her head slowly lifted. Paarthurnax. "Alduin is gone."

Rin's throat was dry as she tore Morokei off of her face. It slipped out of her hand. "You... you don't sound happy about it." The gusts of snow intensified, and she rose her arms in a weak attempt to shield her eyes, already regretting the mask's removal. The hood of the Arch-Mage's robes was blown off her head.

"No, I am not. Alduin was the first of Akatosh, a strong ruler for all dovah." His voice deepened, "But, he went astray. You did what had to be done." He paused. "I apologize, for this is a great victory. My nature distracted me. Forgive me."

Her voice was soft. "It's okay. You don't need to think about that." Paarthurnax didn't hear her, but saw her lips move.

He continued, slowly. "Since the World Eater is gone, the dovah will have no leader. They will bow to my Thu'um now, and I will teach them the Way of the Voice." Paarthurnax was quite close to her, to be honest, so when he flapped his huge wings to take flight, the snow and ice was picked up and flung in her direction. Everything was too bright. Her head hurt.

Through the spaces between her robed arms, she could see the silhouette of the kindly dragon, blocking the sun. The mountain shook with the roars of the other beasts as they followed their new master. It was amazing, but she did not register it. She could not register it.

Rin's eyes fluttered shut, and her body swayed. She collapsed, face-first, into the fresh, powdery snow. Her left cheek was freezing and wet, and her teeth clicked together without pause. The Arch-Mage's robes were soaked and heavy on her, like weights.

She was tired, so very tired. And weak. She could only lazily drift her eyes up to see what was causing footsteps and blocking the annoying, harsh yellow sphere called the sun. The figure knelt down, and Rin squeezed her eyes harder when the light hit her eyes.

"What do we have here?" She felt a hand brush some snow off her cheek. "And here I was, waitin' for you to come to the tea party! Sittin' all alone at the table! And you decide it's nap time? Or death time?" Rin heard a tongue click before she coughed.

"Ah, there's still some life left in you!" Arms snaked around Rin's limp arms, hoisting her up to her feet. "Would've been a shame if you were dead, now wouldn't it?" The voice came from behind her, and the set of arms still held her up. Her head bobbed when she was spun around. The Imperial felt like a rag doll.

"I know just what you need!" A hand tickled Rin's neck as her head was tilted upwards. Her eyes finally fluttered opened, albeit it was a slight, small movement. "It's about time you opened those eyes, lassie! For a second there, I thought I was goin' to have to take them!"

"Please don't." Rin squeaked (Sheogorath had to lean in to hear her soft voice) when his hand moved a bit too close to her face for her liking.

His eyes widened and he moved closer. "Ha! You know, I think I won't take them, now that you mention it. Or I might take them, anyway. Still contemplatin' that." He waved his hands around in an unrecognizable gesture.

The Madgod's arms pulled the woman a bit closer before she coughed again. He rose an eyebrow when Rin's eyes slipped shut. "Somebody's sleepy!" He tickled the back of her neck with his left hand, which made the woman scrunch up a bit.

Sheogorath placed her onto a comfortable, padded chair (where did that come from?) and walked around her. She didn't hear the howling of wind anymore. Through the slits of her eyes, she saw a small, circular table in front of her, along with the Daedra that was currently sitting across from her. His elbows were on the table, holding his head up. The purple, black, and white hues that swirled around them was a nice touch. She could see the outlines of trees and buildings behind the fog.

"So, Rin, how about we have that tea party?" Dishes and silverware (along with food) magically appeared on the table as Rin finally was able to move and speak without tiring out.

"Are you serious?"

"Seriously serious. Just take a sip of some tea!" He slowly pushed the warm cup closer to the Imperial. She stared at it uneasily, and Sheogorath moved it even closer. "C'mon! One sip! Or else I'll make you drink it!"

"Alright!" Rin's hand shook as she brought the cup to her lips. The Madgod looked way too excited when the warm liquid tickled her tongue. The tea tasted fine, Rin had to admit. It must've had magic or something infused in it, because the moment she placed the cup back on its platter, she felt much better.

She pulled her chair in more with her legs. "Pelly said hi." Sheogorath crossed his legs underneath the table and stabbed the slice of cake (which was something Rin only had once) on his plate with a fork. He was still scrutinizing her with mischievous eyes.

The woman chugged down the tea. "Tell him I said hi, too, I guess." Her voice did the shrugging by itself. Sheogorath could almost feel the uncertainty (and slight confusion) as the sentence left her mouth.

"Oh, Rin! Pelagius the Third, the Mad Emperor, says hi, and _all_ you can do is say hi back?" The Madgod looked absolutely scandalized. He even placed an open palm over his chest. "How could you?"

Rin was not amused. She just stared at him, not humoring him.

Sheogorath frowned. "Well, if you're goin' to be like that-" He stopped and blankly gazed at her.

And then, few seconds later, the Daedra jumped up.

"Oh, how _clever!" _A wide grin formed upon his face as he pointed a finger at Rin.

"What?"

"Nope, not goin' to work! You're stayin'! Can't trick me into makin' you go now, eh?"

Once again, Rin shrugged. "I don't really even know where we are." She wasn't lying, but she had a feeling they were somewhere in the Shivering Isles.

"That's right!" He pointed at her head, and her eye twitched. Either he just read her mind, or he could tell she was feeling that way. Or she said it out loud.

"What's right?" She decided to test the mind-reading theory, and his answer bothered her.

"About us bein' in the Shiverin' Isles! That thought was so loud, I could barely hear myself breathe!" He smiled when Rin looked mortified, and let out a muffled laugh, covering his mouth with his hand. "Oh, I'm just kiddin'! You said you thought this was the Isles!"

"I did?"

"Yes, you did. Don't you remember?"

She shook her head, which made him lean back in his chair. "That sounds... _crazy." _His eyes flashed for a moment, and Rin stuttered. Did he really just-

"Uh... yeah... crazy." She froze when the Madgod's mouth opened. He scooted forward again, and placed his hands on the table. He was pretty close to Rin's face, considering how big the table was. His eyes were wide.

"What was it like?" Sheogorath's question was completely off-topic and unexpected, which was just like him. Rin inched back; he was almost laying on the table now, pushing dishes and cups to the side.

"It?" She wanted to tell him to get off of the damn table and sit down, but her entrails begged her to think otherwise.

"You know, your battle with the Biscuit-Eater?" He brought his arms up under his chin and held his head up, staring her intently in the eyes.

"Alduin?"

"Yeah, whatever. Anyway, a mortal fighting a god. How excitin'!" He fluttered his eyelashes at her when she crossed her arms and frowned.

"I don't know. I was too busy trying not to get roasted alive to actually stop and smell the roses and take notes." The Imperial answered truthfully, and he roared, laughing like the madman he was.

"Oh, not that! I mean, how did you feel?"

"For one, angry. He, uh, he wasn't very 'nice', you know." She paused. He was drinking in every word that left her mouth, and she felt uncomfortable. "Besides wanting to kill me and all."

Rin felt extremely skittish then, and flinched when he lurched backwards, swinging his legs, and slid off the table. "What else? What were you thinkin'?" He looked like he was baiting her, and she fell for it, feeling like a fool.

"What would happen if I died." She stopped talking, waiting for him to make his next move.

It didn't take long.

"Where you would go, eh?"

She didn't answer, but he knew what she was thinking.

He slithered around the table, a dark grin on his face. "You know," he whispered. "I'm not lyin' to you when I say this: The Isles is the _best_ place you can go to, Rin. Too late for anythin' else."

This again? He was quite persistent. "What do you mean by 'too late'?" She didn't like the way he snaked an arm around her shoulder.

"We all want a piece of you, lassie. You know, it's dangerous to deal with us Daedra. Can't run to the Divines now, can you?" That made her shiver and remove his arm from her.

"That's not the most comforting thing, but I'm aware." It was all Rin could say, in mock calmness, and at that moment she wanted to run.

"Oh, c'mon, you look like you've seen Dagon's realm. He elbowed her in the ribs, and she forced a chuckle.

They were quiet as he stepped back to his seat and casually re-arranged the table, making sure that everything was up-right and in place. He steepled his fingers, watching her fidget around.

"Where am I, really?" Rin stared him down the best she could. It only made him laugh.

"Oh, Rin, I thought you'd never ask!" Sheogorath. smacked his hand against the table, and her left temple throbbed with a sharp jab of pain. Her hand rose to her head, and her eyes squeezed shut.

He continued. "In your mind!"

"What?" Rin screamed, jumping out of her seat. The chair bounded back, and tumbled over. The sound hurt her ears.

"Your mind!" The Madgod grinned when she turned around. "Not much in here, though." His voice was solemn.

"Hey!" She snapped, spinning around and pointing a finger at him. He lifted his arms up defensively, but a childish grin was plastered on his face.

"Aww, c'mon! I was just jokin'! Your mind is very interestin'!" His tone deepened during the last sentence. Rin stomped over to him, seething with anger.

"You," she began, poking him in the chest. "Get _out_ of my mind."

Sheogorath bounced backwards. "Maybe later. After we've had some fun, okay?" He was madly excited, and rubbed his hands together in glee.

"No. Get out, now!" Rin growled at him, and his eyes darkened.

"Oh, no... no no no. How about this? We both stay here, maybe play a few games? 'Till I get bored. Now that sounds like a great idea!"

"That sounds like a terri-"

"Then it's settled! Ha! I wanna play hide and seek!" Sheogorath interrupted her protestations, lifting a hand. His sharp, menacing grin angered her.

"No!"

"Yes!"

Thick, billowy crimson smoke blinded Rin for a moment, and when her eyes finally worked again, the Madgod was gone.

"Are you serious?" The woman held her face in her hands for a moment, taking a deep breath. A voice echoed in her ears, full of annoyingly smug mirth. She wanted to punch the thin air, in hopes that he was still standing there, invisible.

_"Yep!"_


	8. Home

Shit, guys. Sorry for the really late update. I got distracted by life and school and Oblivion. I'm actually working on three fics now, so I had to finish this one. Sorry if the ending's a bit rushed, I had to finish this.

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><p>Rin had to admit, her mind reminded herself of Pelagius'. Not the most comforting thought, however, but she swallowed down the uneasy feeling (she had to, really) that Sheogorath was probably messing with her sanity already. She could feel him, everywhere. In her head, that is, which most likely meant her thoughts were true. Or paranoia that seemed to linger at every uncontrolled emotion.<p>

She jumped at every little sound, which was beginning to bother her. _This is my mind, _the woman thought, _and he's just acting like a little kid right now._

"Am not!" She was getting used to his voice screeching in her ears whenever she thought or spoke. It wasn't a good sign, but she pressed on.

Her mind was quite large, and it felt like it'd been days since she began walking through a large, dense forest. She saw the Madgod, in all his glory, casually leaning on a pine tree around twenty-four minutes after she first entered the underbrush. He merely glanced up at her, nodded, and went back to staring at the sky. She shouted at him, a few feet away.

"Hey! You know, that's not how it works!" Her Thu'um almost flew out of her throat, and she almost wanted to let it out. Sheogorath smiled at her.

"Calmed down? Strange, only ten minutes ago, you wanted to strangle me! Times change, eh? Just like me!" He was baiting her, of course.

"I found you. Now, get out of my head." Rin sighed when he shot his arms up, shaking his head furiously.

"Nope! No! Never! Or at least, not right now! I just got here! You should be more hospitable to a Daedra, little Rin!" That was his 'I've got the power here and you don't' tone, and the woman did not like it.

She almost, almost mocked him. "Maybe later. Another time. Alright?" He craftily rubbed his hands together when she paused.

"Don't you dare damage anything!" She half-hissed at him.

"Can I still make some tweaks and improvements? Please?" He pleaded.

"Don't do anything to my mind!"

The Madgod faked a sob.

"But... but that's what makes it fun!" He began laughing, rubbing tears from his cat-eyes. It was muffled under his arm, and Rin yelled at him.

"You think this is funny?" Her eye twitched, and she forced herself to calm down. This amused him, because his head tilted up a bit, and he stared her right in the eyes, biting back a giggle.

"Amusing is a more appropriate word. Something could be terrible, but still amusing! Like you!" And this time, lavender smoke blotted out her vision, and the Daedra was gone.

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><p>An hour and a half later, Rin ran into him again when she was climbing down the steep face of a cliff, next to a very dangerous, deep, fast-flowing waterfall. He was below her, standing on a little elevation of some rocks that formed a small foothold.<p>

"How's the weather up there?" He had to shout over the raging waters, and his presence was so abrupt and unexpected that Rin lost her footing and slid down a few feet.

"Whoa there, Rin!" She glared down at him and his loopy grin. "Don't wanna get hurt! Or do you?"

"Can I die in my own mind?" She yelled back nervously, and he rubbed his bearded chin.

"Hmmm... not sure. What, do you want to find out? It'd be a learnin' experience for us both!" He looked hopeful, and Rin kicked her feet at him. A few rocks fell, and one of them collided with his head. "Ouch! Rin, is that a maybe?"

"_No! _It's a no!" The woman slowly descended another yard or so, and soon, her feet were above Sheogorath.

"Don't look down!" The Madgod chided her when Rin glanced down at him, and then to the deadly, cold water below. "Don't look down!" He repeated, and her fingers were slipping. A sharp, dirty rock later was all it took to slash a large, nasty gash down Rin's arm. The trail of blood ran down her arm and dripped onto Sheogorath's clothing.

"Blood! You're bleedin'! And you got it all over me! My favorite outfit!" Sheogorath cried out, wiping his shoulders. _"Gross!"_

"Oh, boo hoo." Rin whispered, sliding down the rocks. She let go when she was close enough to the small, rock platform the Madgod was standing on, and immediately casted a healing spell. The magic swirled around her torn arm, numbing the pain and replacing it with warmth.

Sheogorath's face was illuminated by the magic as he whined once more. "You got blood on me!"

"Can't you just use your 'Daedra magic' and clean it off?" Rin retorted, sacrastically.

"Oh! Good idea!" Sheogorath snapped his fingers and the drying blood on his clothing disappeared with a small click.

Rin shook her head in disbelief. "This is ridiculous. Stop this, now."

The Madgod's arms rose. "One more time! Just one, little, harmless game, and I'll leave!" A devilish smirk crept onto his face when Rin paled.

"No!" She lunged at him, and he waved, fizzling away into the air like dust.

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><p>It was about another hour and a strange presence later that Rin squeezed her eyes shut. Her head was throbbing, and she rubbed her eyes, emitting a weak groan of pain. She slowed her pace, but ended up stumbling over her own two feet. She heard footsteps, and knew it was him.<p>

He materialized out of thin air with a grin that made her feel uneasy. There was no reason for her to feel uncomfortable, for there was no malice behind it. No hidden tricks. It looked genuine, but she knew better.

"So, Rin." He drawled, patting her shaking shoulders. "Are we done here?"

"I don't know, are we?" She spat back, crossing her arms. She turned her back to him, which meant she missed the tiniest hint of hurt in his eyes.

He jumped in front of her, and crouched down to meet her eyes. "C'mon, Rin! Aren't you tired of this?" He gave her another smile and she frowned.

"I would appreciate it if you left me alone."

He rolled his eyes and put two fingers under her chin. She immediately pulled away, and he crossed his arms. "Don't touch me!" She hissed.

Sheogorath put his hands up in mock innocence, but then he lunged forward, tapping her forehead with his right hand. Rin reeled back. "That hurt!" She rubbed the burning area and pulled her hand back. She looked at her palm and noticed the strange marking. Her eyes widened.

"What did you just do?" She glared up at him, but stopped. His eyes were practically glowing.

"Not much! Just a little invitation, that's all!" The glint in his eyes gave away everything.

"You could've done this at any time, huh? You... you just waited for the right time." Her voice was much calmer than both of them expected, considering the fact she was now on the ground, clutching her face.

He stood above her as she struggled and writhed on the grass at his feet. He merely watched with a mixed expression of amusement and interest. Her body stilled, and she glanced up at him with frantic eyes. Her mouth formed incoherent words. He offered her his hand, and she took it with her trembling one.

He gently pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth for a moment, a toothy grin on his face, and whispered. "Are you ready to go home?"

Insane laughter bubbled up in Rin Maverin's throat.

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><p>I'd like to thank all my reviewers, and Martin Septim, because he's probably proud of me.<p> 


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